Rebbe’s Sharp Words to Crown Heights Landlords

A Sicha delivered by the Rebbe exactly 31 years ago, on the 15th of Tammuz, 5745 (1985), was transcribed and translated to English for the first time. In it, the Rebbe has some sharp words for landlords who ‘extort’ large sums of money for rent from their fellow Chasidim.

 

 

15 Tammuz, 5745 – Free Translation

Breaking a Glass

As stated earlier, we want to seize the opportunity to accomplish whatever we can when we still have the advantage of קיימא סיהרא באשלמותא (“the moon is complete,” i.e., the fifteenth day of the month), and being that the night follows the previous day [in certain aspects], this advantage is present now as well.

[To preface:]

According to halachah, when it comes to participating in a wedding, even six hundred thousand and more are obligated to participate and bring joy to the chassan and kallah. Yet, being that we are in golus, a glass is broken. One of the reasons for this is to remind us that [our happiness is incomplete, because]אז ימלא שחוק פינו – “Then our mouths will be filled with laughter,” the word ימלא being written in the future tense, referring to the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu who will bring the true and complete ge’ulah.

The above serves as an example to the present situation as well, and we must unfortunately now discuss something which can be compared to “breaking a glass.” However, we will attempt to discuss it in as short a manner as possible and limit our words to what is necessary.

Alive More Than Before

[The issue] is as follows:

As discussed above, we find ourselves in a time when זרעו בחיים – “his offspring are alive,” and הוא בחיים – “he is alive” [referring to the Frierdiker Rebbe and his chassidim.] And to the contrary: as the years pass, the [Frierdiker Rebbe’s] “offspring” increase in life ([in keeping with the instruction] to increase in matters of holiness) by increasing in studying Torah and performing mitzvos according to the directives given to them by the Frierdiker Rebbe. As such, the fact that “he is alive” is all that more apparent.

Furthermore: the Alter Rebbe explains in Igeres Hakodesh that the contrary is true; when a tzaddik passes away, he is found in this physical world even more than when he was alive. [The Alter Rebbe] provides an explanation: When the tzaddik was alive, he was limited to a physical body—an extremely holy one, but one that has limitations nonetheless. This is the way the Torah determined it should be, and therefore this is the way it is in actuality. But when [he passes away—which is a negative event, but] every negative event must include something positive, especially one that is connected with a nossi—and these limitations are removed, אשתכח בכולהו עלמין יתיר מבחיוהי – “he is found in all the worlds even more than when he was alive.”

The emphasis in this statement is [that he is found] “in all the worlds,” which means—unlike the simple meaning of the Zohar, that this refers to other worlds—that he is found in this physical and materialistic world even more than he was when he was alive. This is the understanding of the [above-mentioned] Igeres Hakodesh section 27 and its [subsequent] bi’ur. Additionally, [there exist] lengthy explanations on this [letter], especially as can be understood from the maamorim of the Rebbeim who followed the Alter Rebbe.

The Rebbe’s Neighborhood

Being that we must connect this idea to something in this physical world, [I would like to state the following] piece of good news ([in keeping with the rule that] פותחין בברכה – “one should begin with a blessing”), connected with this neighborhood:

[To preface: 770] is the house where the [Frierdiker Rebbe] spent the last ten years of his life. It is the place where he studied and davened, and it is here where he ate, drank, and slept, which are [activities] by which a wise man can be recognized, as the Rambam writes. [This is true regarding] any wise man; all the more so wisdom connected to a leader of the generation!

As can be easily understood, even though [we find ourselves in] golus and are restricted by limitations, we must do whatever we can so that it should be apparent that an increase [in the above is taking place] in the area surrounding these daled amos (which include the entire house, courtyard, and so on).

An Urgent Meeting

[The following message] is therefore being given over: Individuals who are down-to-earth and practical should hold an urgent meeting—and the opportunity should be seized as early as tonight (when the advantage of קיימא סיהרא באשלמותא is still present, because the night follows the previous day)—to begin making plans how to improve (bederech hateva) the houses that are already found in this neighborhood.

Those houses that are already fit for human residence should be made fit for human residence in an expansive manner, and those that were not fit for human residence should be made fit for human residence. Ideas should be considered—bederech hateva—to build houses and buildings wherever there is an empty lot, so that people who follow in the ways of [the Frierdiker Rebbe] can settle there.

The [Frierdiker Rebbe, who was] arrested and released [on Yud Beis Tammuz,] will surely help [in the implementation of these plans], and furthermore—it is certain that success will be achieved.

In these houses, the Torah of [the Frierdiker Rebbe] will be studied along with all other parts of Torah, and mitzvos will be performed along with those mitzvos which the Frierdiker Rebbe emphasized particularly.

Extorting Money

From the above is understood that [the following conduct] should be avoided:

Certain people mistakenly believe that when building a house in this neighborhood, they must collect as much money as possible, because after all, the buyer will certainly pay the money he demands, because he desires to live in this house!

In truth, the correct conduct should be to be mekadesh the name of this neighborhood, by showing how it is a place where one can settle easily. It should be a place where one does not have to search for diverse and bizarre ideas how to obtain the large amount of money required to buy or rent a residence, and even after the money is obtained, the seller provides a second-rate residence that is missing this amenity or that amenity, and when the buyer comes to complain, the seller replies: “You’re even complaining?! You’re living in the neighborhood of the Frierdiker Rebbe, the leader of our generation! Even if you were to live in a hut, you should still be paying many times this amount! All the more so when we do you a favor and supply you with a residence—perhaps a substandard and dreadful one, where the roof leaks and the floor is not the way it should be, [but a residence nonetheless]!!” [More can be said about this, but] there is no reason to speak at length regarding painful, shocking matters.

This is one of the phenomena that accomplishes the opposite of kiruv rechokim, and results in the opposite of kiruv to those who are kerovim!

These people definitely have good intentions—to obtain more money to use for positive things. But one should not obtain money by bringing about difficulties in the life of another Jew, and a difficulty of the type that Hashem did not place upon him!

“He Is Destined To Lose the Money Anyway…”

There are foolish individuals who claim that they can explain everything according to Chassidus. They claim that the fact that they are causing pain to another Jew is based on a psak din of the Alter Rebbe in Igeres Hakodesh. (And being that the Alter Rebbe writes this in Igeres Hakodesh, he certainly considers it to be a pask din, and he is certain that the other considers it a psak din as well! At least, so he claims…)

The Alter Rebbe rules in Igeres Hakodesh that one cannot cause a problem for another Jew, and even for a non-Jew. For if it has been decreed from Above that the other will suffer, Hashem has many messengers [and He will ensure that it will transpire nonetheless], and if he won’t be the one to cause him suffering and squeeze out the money from him, than another will do it, because it has already been decreed as such from Above! He doesn’t have the power to bring about a new decree; it must be that it has been decreed that the other will lose the money either way! And being that this is the case, why should he allow another to be the one who will squeeze out the money from him, let him be the one to serve as Hashem’s messenger and squeeze out the money, cause him pain and suffering, and upset his shalom bayis! And he has a claim to substantiate his actions: this is what it says in Igeres Hakodesh!

This can be compared to the conduct in Sedom: in Sedom, if one person caused another to bleed, he would demand compensation, claiming that he would have had to pay a doctor to let out blood, and he did it instead, so he should be paid for letting out blood! And the same is true here.

An Evil Choice

However, the Alter Rebbe immediately rules out this claim: Yes, it’s true that the other would have undergone the suffering regardless; but he must know that the reason he is acting in this manner is (not because he wants to serve as Hashem’s messenger, but) due to רוע בחירתו – his evil choice! That’s the wording used by the Alter Rebbe!

Hashem gave a Jew a unique power—the power of complete free choice, just like atzmus u’mehus, so to speak. As it says in Lekutei Torah, no one else has free choice to such a degree, other than atzmus u’mehus and a Jew. And Hashem wants a Jew to use his bechirah, which is exclusively his—הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים—to choose life (ובחרת בחיים). [Hashem wants that a Jew] should make his bechirah be one of life, by choosing to bring life to another, and to bring life to himself! And instead, he took his bechirah and made it one of evil!

If he would have merely used his faculty of action for evil, one would be able to rationalize [his conduct], because when it comes to the faculty of action, a human and an animal are alike. As Chassidus explains at length, when it comes to action, a human—although endowed with the power of speech and intellect—is the same as an animal, and the difference between the two begins with speech, thought, and so on.

But Chassidus continues to emphasize and explain that bechirah does not exist by angels, serafim, ofanim, chayos hakodesh, or by any other level in all the worlds. This is how Chassidus rules on the matter, and it’s also implied as such in Moreh Nevuchim (referenced in Lekutei Torah). And yet, he comes along and uses this power, in which he is similar to Hashem himself, for an evil choice!

Being that we are found in the great darkness of golus, he’s in the category of a tinok shenishba lebain ha’akum with regard to this matter, and he is therefore subject to the above-mentioned persuasions, excuses, and so on. But from now on it will be different.

An Urgent Meeting – II

However, we can’t wait until he performs complete teshuvah and rely only on the individuals who have acted in such a manner; instead we should immediately devote ourselves to the issue with a shturem by holding an initial urgent meeting (as stated above) with those individuals to whom this matter has been addressed before. [The meeting should be held] tonight, which still possesses the advantage of קיימא סיהרא באשלמותא of the fifteenth day of the month, being that the night follows the previous day [as stated above].

The beginning should already take place today, and we should certainly seize the opportunity to do whatever possible before the beginning of the three weeks, as a special avodah will then be necessary—the avodah of is’hapcha, and so on and so forth. (This is despite the fact that this year, the first day of the three weeks [coincides with Shabbos, and the three weeks begin with Shivah Asar Betamuz] being pushed off [to Sunday.] We will recite kiddush; it will be a day of rejoicing (as Chazal say: וביום שמחתכם אלו השבתות), pleasure, and rest (כל מלאכתך עשוי’); and one must avoid any gesture that can be interpreted as an expression of sadness related to the atmosphere of the three weeks, G-d forbid. The emphasis must be on the exact opposite, as has been explained at length numerous times.)

This is the issue I wanted to seize the opportunity to address when the advantage of קיימא סיהרא באשלמותא is still present. I have already spoken with certain individuals and instructed them to hold an urgent meeting, [urgent] but also held in a calm and in an orderly fashion, to discuss plans to erect buildings, renovate and improve them, and the like.

They should also think of solutions so that the cost of housing for one who desires to move to this neighborhood should be on the average side. Even better, the prices should be bechesed u’berachamim, because this is the neighborhood of the Frierdiker Rebbe, who made a condition with his father when accepting the nesi’us that he is accepting the nesi’us because it will be bechesed u’berachamim, and he indeed accomplished that it should be this way. And together with this, the residence should be an attractive one, which broadens one’s mind (as the gemara rules in the end and conclusion of maseches Berachos).

Alive More Than Before – II

When the above is accomplished, not only will these daled amos of nesi doreinu not be affected in a negative manner, but to the contrary: it has been thirty-five years in which his sovereignty and control increases as each year passes, and הוא בחיים, יתיר מבחיוהי. This will also affect חיוהי—his life—as explained in simple terms in Igeres Hakodesh: his life as it pertains to physical concepts in this physical and materialistic world in general, and particularly as it pertains to the place where he resided for ten years of his life, along with the limitations of a body.

Nothing in this world is totally negative, and it is certain that there is something positive [in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s histalkus]. The positive aspect is the fact that now he is alive more than before—יתיר מבחיוהי: in the very same place where until then he was present only to a certain extent, he is now found יתיר במחיוהי. And with each passing year this has increased more and more, in keeping with the rule that one must להעלות בקודש – increase in matters of holiness.

It is certain that there is no need to speak more about this matter. More should be said about the topic, but everyone will act [in this matter] as he understands.

47 Comments

  • Shame!

    What a shame that some of our own “chassidim” are wealthy landlords and charging crazy prices to kollel yungerleit and some not even renting to them because they get more money from Yuppies! And then call themselves the Rebbe’s chassidim….

  • Will Show My Kids

    Thank you for publishing. I’ve been doing things along these lines for my tenants for years, and my kids constantly call me foolish. Maybe now they’ll see my conduct is not foolish, but was prescribed by the Rebbe.

    • Anonymous

      Hashem should bless you with health and nachas in the zchus of treating your fellow Jews the way the Rebbe wanted!

  • DeClasse' Intellectual

    So what else is new: the more things change–the more they remain the same. Only now it is worse!!!!!

  • 5 towner

    If the rebbe writes to rent. At average price…then a 1 bedroom average in our area is 1700, 2 bedrooms 2200 and 3 2600. If a perspn cant affprd that then they need to look elsewhere.

    • Pedant

      Nobody will change their behavior because of the sicha because there is a ton wiggle room as you mention.

      But those who still care for toras emes: the key principle and true novelty, for me, is

      “Certain people mistakenly believe that when building a house in this neighborhood, they must collect as much money as possible, because after all, the buyer will certainly pay the money he demands, because he desires to live in this house!

      In truth, the correct conduct should be to be mekadesh the name of this neighborhood, by showing how it is a place where one can settle easily. ”

      That speaks directly to the common ethos pervading our youth, where all of our yungerleit have become economic libertarians.

  • Milhouse

    Nothing in the sicha requires anyone to let people live in his property for less than it is worth, i.e. what he can obtain from anyone else! To demand below-market rent is to demand a free gift from the landlord, and no landlord has any obligation to distribute such gifts to whichever lucky would-be tenants happen to knock on his door first. I don’t see anything in the Rebbe’s words demanding that such gifts be given.

    Indeed, since sonei matanos yichyeh, it’s questionable whether a person should even accept such a gift, let alone have the chutzpah to demand one!

    All I hear the Rebbe saying is that the landlord must provide the apartment that he promised, and not bait-and-switch by promising one apartment and providing an inferior one, with the claim that the tenant should be grateful he’s getting anything at all. If the apartment is inferior, disclose it to the would-be tenant up front, so that the negotiated rent will reflect this fact.

    • Did you read?

      Certain people mistakenly believe that when building a house in this neighborhood, they must collect as much money as possible, because after all, the buyer will certainly pay the money he demands, because he desires to live in this house!

      In truth, the correct conduct should be to be mekadesh the name of this neighborhood, by showing how it is a place where one can settle easily. It should be a place where one does not have to search for diverse and bizarre ideas how to obtain the large amount of money required to buy or rent a residence

    • DBA

      Then what does the Rebbe mean that the prices should be bchesed uvirachamim?

    • Anonymous

      If you want to make cash go ahead! But don’t twist the words for your benefit. You just need to know a bit of history to know what he’s talking about. What created today’s “market price” if not the artificial price of then? And yes no one is saying you should LOSE money rather you don’t need to make TOP dollar on someone else’s cheshbon.

    • Berel

      Milhouse What in the heck are you talking about?? You always ramble with your coments. Milhouse why don’t you use your real name so people can know you actually do something with your life like coment in ch.info

    • Disgust

      Wow you clearly didn’t read it. Denial? The rebbe clearly wrote that the landlord must make it possible for the person to afford and be comfortable.

  • Dovid

    When these SAME landlords were struggling to hold on to buildings across from Eastern Parkway AND THE 1980’s and no chossid even thought of crossing Eastern Parkway,
    WHERE WERE YOU?!!!!!!!!!

  • xb32

    thankyou for a dose of the Rebbe’s guidance in this area.
    I understand that people need to cover increase on taxes for water, and more, but this is just getting out of control.
    HaShem will give you other ways to make money….some investments or whatever.
    Make some money on property, but don’t leave people in a situation where they can’t buy a house, and can’t pay rent either!!

    • Some Jew

      Forget about buying a house in ch! It’s for the millionaires and outside investors. Forget about kan tziva. We young people are looking else where. The era is over the rebbe’s shchuna belongs to the yuppies now. What to do? Golus :(

  • K

    These are words used in certain teffilos: “vsitneinu lichein ulichesed ulirachamimim” usually a bakosha for success in an endevour dealing with others. It is not a bakosha for freebies or mitziyas. I must agree with Milhouse: there is no “onaah” in karka and whatever the market bears is the “right” price. We have the same rental and house price problem in Ir Hakodesh of Lakewood. Before Moshiach arrives – kola pruta min hakis (the pockets will be empty of even pennies) and life will be unaffordable with the purpose that we should yearn the uva ltzion goel.

    • Pedant

      You made my day, Mr. K if Lakewood is yearning for uva lizion goel then I need to start packing my bags.

      tof shin ayin vov, you heard it here first.

    • K

      Re-read: we “should” yearn and we “do” yearn are not one and the same.

  • so painfull

    some landlords just have no heart.

    a young couple moves in paying their last dollar
    to this so called very hasidick landloard.

    these chasidim need to do teshuvah.

    Things can turn and they will be the ones loooking for an apt, yes things do turn.

  • dissapointed

    when it comes to the Eruv, everybody suddently follows the Rebbes words, but when it come to making money, nobody does. so sad

    • CH Landlord

      You don’t speak for me. I’ve been following the Rebbe’s advice for years, charged them a low rent when they moved in – and never raised it for years and years.

  • 5745

    In 1985, I was paying $90 for a one-bedroom apartment in Crown Heights. According to the government’s CPI inflation calculator, $90 today at the rate of inflation would be $201.61.
    This is the week of parshas Balak- Bilaam was noted for his greed.

  • To milhouse ans the like

    It is the landlords in crownheights who caused the high rental cost . Yes because housing is so expensive,w hich was caused by those who can afford hogher payments when wanting the property his friend is in middle of buying, thw worth of rentals are way high but thus wasnt the case 25 years ago. It is the chassidim or thrir children thst directly caused the mess we have today in renting or buying.

  • rdz

    there are a number of causes for high rent in this area. yes, some landlords/home owners are greedy. many are not. many keep the rent reasonable. some are forced to charge high rent due to the cost of the come and the mortgage. certainly, part of the sicha addresses people charging top dollar when selling their homes and the ramifications of this.

  • Av

    As someone posted about the bais Rivka strike.

    The more unaffordable Crown Heights gets, the higher tuitions must be; and young families must move out.

    It appears the Rebbe is making an appeal to keep crown height s a jewish community.

  • Cmon

    To take a house,divide it in four and overcharge is paying its worth??
    Well maybe actually,since housing skyrocketed caused by unzereh eigeneh,our very own

  • non chabad LL are taking over

    and other investors as well….

    but besides some of OUR anash LL looking very hard for yuppies only – the outsiders have local anash managers who do same for their bosses.

    its a lost cause – as long as the Rabonim have time for fights and court cases and Yes eiruv/No eiruv all is good

    Did they say one word to any LL ? no !!!!!!!!!!

    Just moved out & took kids out of our Moisdois bc of the above

    MBA

    Goodby “average” income anash :(:(:(

  • Lag Ba'omer

    Why did the Rebbe not come to the Lag Bao’mer Parade in the Lameds?

    What was the problem that year with certain landlords that upset the Rebbe so much that he said at farbrengen it caused him to miss out participation of the parade???

  • Define "fellow chasidim"

    these days our own brotherly neighbors are impossible to discern who is fellow chasidim vs who is chasidim of Oneg-Shabbos chabad-culture.

    if it were authentic kollel yungeleit in need of subsidized housing I am eager to forgoe my own bills as a landlord for my own brotherly fellow chasidim.

    But today’s young chevera are different. many of my tenants are these young active isreali crowd who are more then capable of picking up their rear end off the couch and go out to do what everybody else does. these young chevreh are not lazy, quiet capable, out there actually working. many of these guys are capable graduates who’ve done their IDF service.

    So in today’s situation I’d stick to the Universal’s standards of asking our tough youth to go contribute something to society instead of latching on like a parasite to your chasidisher kollel brothers, who actually sit and learn Torah, as you whine about the rising cost of oneg-shabbos living in YOUR neighborhood.

    if your not in the Beis medreash studying Torah then why did you come to Crown Heights? if you came to take advantage of the pretty parks to stroller around on Shabbos, there are many other pretty places to park yourselves. Why Crown Heights?

    if you don’t consider yourself a chosid who spends his time studying torah, then your just like anybody else under Pharaoh subject to exchanging couch-grade potential into kinetic energy. f • d = W

  • Yuppies

    I read elsewhere that it is because yuppies are being priced out of neighborhoods that they are nkw moving to Crown Heights. If that is correct, then Crown Heights prices are obviously lower than many other neighborhoods.

    • We OWN Crown Heights

      I can’t tell who’s worse Yuppies or Oneg-Chabad-Culture. They share the same traits – they are a Yenikas HaChitzonim who not only came to sap our resources but are also taking ownership of the water lines. They forgot they were guest and now have such a sense of baa’lus here, and boy what a sense of entitlement in their belly, so expansive it’s as if he swallowed a tire inflator who’s cap slipped off, inside the GI tract, without a hyperbaric chamber in sight, and no relief valve

    • TO: "We OWN..."

      Please tell more about the “…Oneg-Chabad-Culture. They share the same traits – they are a Yenikas HaChitzonim…”

      Exactly who are you talking about here: your fellow Yidden?

      Please tell us all more about that.

  • C.R.

    Thank you so much for drawing attention to this absolute crisis for families renting in Crown Heights. There are many of us in Crown Heights who are only here to teach and learn Torah, or even just work 9-5 jobs, and NOT become rich off of our fellow man’s suffering.
    In addition, the Rebbe commanded us to open our eyes to the Geulah, and live accordingly over 24 years ago!!! How strange it is that now in 5776, people are even STILL using such a golus term as “landlord.” It’s been a very sad and shameful thing to witness. IM”HASHEM may they do complete teshuva, and realize the harm and suffering they are causing, instead of, as the Rebbe says, making them bleed and asking them to pay for it.

  • CH Real Estate inflation

    Mr Millhouse, aside from the mess created years ago, even today we are seeing new levels of greed. There are people involved with real estate interests who take advantage of the high demand to live in the Rebbe’s neighborhood and do tricks, moves and flipping etc, to manipulate the numbers inflating everything since it serves their interest. The mess they leave on the hundreds of innocents who now have to beg and borrow to the new inflated standard is something that doesn’t even enter their mind

  • Izzy C

    I have a awesome landlord. And before that I lived by Reb Dovid Fisher he gives the cheapest rents in town.

    God bless the good people.

  • CH.K

    Why doesn’t Osbaba and Segal give out a Psak against high rents instead of a Psak againt the Eruv.

    • RG

      why not both? The Rebbe was against an eruv the same as he is against the financial blood letting of Yidden

  • Forever

    For some history, preceeding this heart breaking Sicha, there was a lengthy article published by the Israeli kvutza regarding the real estate success in Crown Heights a few months earlier. (Forwarded to CH info).
    The terrible grief the Rebbe had from the fire in 770 and the renovation of the women’s mikva.
    After this Sicha there were some people who ran away to Isreal for some reason.
    It’s not by coincidence that this Sicha was not available to the gereral public for so many years.
    CONNECT THE DOTS.
    The words of a Rebbe are forever

  • From a "landlord" perspective

    There’s a difference between a homeowner who rents and mogul who owns several buildings, many which were bought years ago at LOW prices. One is asking for rent according to the high price he paid simply to pay the mortgage. The other is an investor charging the “going rate” regardless of how much he actually needs to pay the mortgage (if he actually still has one) and earn a small but modest profit. Both are labeled “landlords” but there’s a BIG difference! I’m of the former and we don’t make a profit from renting, in fact most months we are in the red. I think we represent MOST home owners who bought after the early 2000’s.

  • We charge what's considered low

    We charge what’s considered low for our one-bedroom, well-maintained one-bedroom basement apartment, and WE pay the utilities: in the $800s. And that’s considered low!

    I can’t tell you how many people have told us we should charge more! But even without hearing this from the Rebbe, our consciences do not allow us to charge more.

    Baruch Hashem, we are absolutely not “rolling in dough,” but we manage to pay the mortgage each month, pay full tuition, and put challah and chicken on the table each Shabbos. Our car (we feel blessed to have one!) is from the turn of this century.

    How can you sleep at night charging more — knowing that you’ve got perfectly good tenants living in your basement, who make sure to pay on time, and who would be absolutely unable to find another affordable place and would be truly unable to afford a rent increase? How does a Jew DO that to someone????

  • Feivel G Texas

    Why is everyone in shock? The Rebbe said again and again golus is going to get very very dark. We are living in the darkest time. brother has turned against brother sister against sister. If you will turn to gemmorah Sanhedrin 97a it states and I quote “Raba said: I used to think at first that there is no truth in the world.21 Whereupon one of the Rabbis, by name of R. Tabuth – others say, by name of R. Tabyomi – who, even if he were given all the treasures of the world, would not lie, told me that he once came to a place called Kushta,22 in which no one ever told lies, and where no man ever died before his time. Now, he married one of their women, by whom he had two sons. One day his wife was sitting and washing her hair, when a neighbour came and knocked at the door. Thinking to himself that it would not be etiquette [to tell her that his wife was washing herself], he called out, ‘She is not here.’ [As a punishment for this] his two sons died. Then people of that town came to him and questioned him, ‘What is the cause of this?’ So he related to them what had happened. ‘We pray thee,’ they answered, ‘quit this town, and do not incite Death against us.’23

    It has been taught: R. Nehorai said: in the generation when Messiah comes, young men will insult the old, and old men will stand before the young [to give them honour]; daughters will rise up against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. The people shall be dog-faced, and a son will not be abashed in his father’s presence.

    It has been taught, R. Nehemiah said: in the generation of Messiah’s coming impudence will increase, esteem be perverted,24 the vine yield its fruit, yet shall wine be dear,25 and the Kingdom will be converted to heresy26 with none to rebuke them. This supports R. Isaac, who said: The son of David will not come until the whole world is converted to the belief of the heretics. Raba said: What verse [proves this]? it is all turned white: he is clean.27

    Our Rabbis taught: For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself of his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left:28 the son of David will not come until denunciators are in abundance.29 Another interpretation [of their power is gone]: until scholars are few. Another interpretation: until the [last] perutah has gone from the purse. Yet another interpretation: until the redemption is despaired of, for it is written, there is none shut up or left, as – were it possible [to say so] – Israel had neither Supporter nor Helper. Even as R. Zera, who, whenever he chanced upon scholars engaged thereon [I.e., in calculating the time of the Messiah’s coming], would say to them: I beg of you, do not postpone it, for it has been taught: Three come unawares:30 Messiah, a found article and a scorpion.31

    R. Kattina said: Six thousand years shall the world exist, and one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.32 Abaye said: it will be desolate two [thousand], as it is said, After two days will he revive us: in the third day, he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.33

    It has been taught in accordance with R. Kattina: Just as the seventh year is one year of release in seven, so is the world: one thousand years out of seven shall be fallow, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day,’ and it is further said, A Psalm and song for the Sabbath day,34 meaning the day that is altogether Sabbath -35 and it is also said, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past.36

    The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand there was desolation;37 two thousand years the Torah flourished;38 and the next two thousand years is the Messianic era,39” So WHY IS EVERYONE IN SHOCK ITS COMING TO PAST MOSHIACH IS COMING WE KNOW WHO IS TRUE WHO IS FALSE/ WHO LVES HASHEM AND WHO WORSHIPS THE GOLDEN CALF.